Electric-railway-car truck



(No Model.)

' F. 0. BLAOKWELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY GAR TRUCK.

No. 522,189. Patented July 3, 1894.

INVENTOR WITNES ES @LJJWM m: nnmus vans co. mow-L ma. wnsumamu, n. g

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS O. BLACKWELL, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

EL ECTRICY-RAll-wAY CAR TRuCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,1a ea 1 3,1 94.

Application filed May 1, 1891- Scrial No. 391,211. (No model.)

To all whom it concern: f I

Be it known that I, FRANCIS 0. BLACK? WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in thecounty of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Railway Car Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide a truck with driving connections from a single motor to both axles of the truck, while allowing the motor to havesome freedom of vertical movement independent of the axles, that is, to be spring supported or cushioned thereon, so that any vertical jar or blow is not transmitted fromone to the other, and hammering on the motor and pounding on the track are both avoided. For this purpose I place the motor preferably between the car axles, and connect it to both axles byaflexible-coupling.

The manner in which I prefer to carry out my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan of the truck, and Figs. 2 and 3 details.

In order to facilitate the driving of both axles from one motor, the truck frame A is preferably substantially rigid on the axles B B so as to hold the same in approximate alignment.

The motorG is carried by bolsters or crossbars D, D, which are yieldingly supported on the side bars a, a. of the truck frame, preferably by springs or cushions E, E supporting the motor against both upward and downward displacement. The motor shaft 0, is placed longitudinally of the car and is connected ateach end to bevel pinions F gearing with bevel gears G on the axles. In order that the motor may move freely up and down on the springs E, E without interference with or by the connection to-the axle, I interpose a flexible coupling H between the motor shaft 0, and the axle, which While transmitting the torque of the motor shaft to the axle, allows each to yield or shift to some extent independently of the other. The flexible coupling 1 have shown is interposed between the motor shaft c, and bevel pinion F and consists of jaws or arms h and h respectively on the motor shaft and the-bevel pinion,

and connected by the cross or four armed frame h, the said cross sliding looselyinholes in said jaws. The bevel pinion: is preferably mounted to rotate on astud carried by, a sleeve K journaled on the axle. p A -v I The above form of flexible coupling, while well adapted to the purpose, may be variously modified or replaced by well-known equivalents.

Casin gsL'may be made to envelop the gearing including the flexible coupling, and the two casings may be conveniently connected together by a frame M and havetheir other ends journaled on the respectiveaxles. The

. connecting frameM should not be rigidly connected to the motor supporting bolsters D, D, but may engage therewith by limiting guides or stops d, which prevent objectionable drlfting of the motor and frame. The apertures of the casings which receive the motor shaft are made large enough to enable the latter to play freely therein, when it moves in relat on to the truck frame, and a flexible or shifting washer or cap,here shown as a sliding gasket 1, closes the clearance'space so as to keep out dust, &c.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combinationwith a railway truck, of an electric motor flexibly supported thereon and a flexible coupling connecting said shaft with the gearing on the axle, said coupling consisting of two perforated forks arranged at right angles, and a rigid cross-bar having its arms loosely received in the apertures in said forks, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the driving axle of a railway truck and the motor shaft connected thereto through a flexible coupling and gearing, of the gear-casing havingapor- 'tion flexibly mounted to follow the movement hand this 27th day of April, 1891.

FRANCIS O. BLAOKWELL.

Witnesses:

- JOHN W. GIBBONEY, AXEL EKsTRoM. 

